OLD BOLTONIANS A 3 HESKETH A 0
Well, it's been a long time coming. President Bush was in the White House, it was safe to put your money in British banks, and Man City looked set for world domination the last time the 3rd team won. How times have changed! Still, this victory is a reflection of the turnaround in the attitude, teamwork and spirit in the lads recently and it goes a long way to ensuring safety at the expense of one of our relegation rivals, Hesketh. Good management and use of squad players from our leader Rosie ensured a strong performance on the pitch.
The game started well enough with the team well organised and an early goal started us on our way. The ball was put thro into the box and Damo knocked the ball into the path of the returning Jules Ellis who despatched a cracking shot past the Hesketh keeper. 1-0 Bolts. Then began a period of sustained Hesketh pressure, pretty much up until half time. Hesketh, desperate for points to avoid relegation and drag ourselves into the dogfight, looked better than their position in the table suggested and came close to equalising a couple of times, but the Bolts back four of Hulton Jr., Ishaque, Campbell and DanAn stood firm. Hearts were in mouths when Will the keeper assaulted a Hesketh forward in the box, but the ref chose to see nothing wrong with the reckless challenge and awarded a goal kick for Bolts, much to the anger of Hesketh and relief of Big Will. 1-0 Bolts H-T.
The second half began with a reshuffle at the back with Ishaque coming off injured, Dan moving to centre back and Lynchy coming on and slotting in seemlessly at left back. This half, the Hesketh pressure began to tell, with the Bolts woodwork being hit twice, but it was Bolts who scored the all important next goal. Jack, who had an excellent game marking out Heskeths playmaker in central midfield (and shutting his Cockney mouth by whacking him in the kisser in the first half) carried on a mazy run into the penalty box and fired in a cross-shot that was heading into the path of Jules to increase his impressive goal haul for the season. It didn't reach him as the last Hesketh defender poked out a boot to prevent the ball reaching Jules, but he also succeded in redirecting the ball into the back of his own net. 2-0 Bolts.
Bolts have been here a couple of times before this season and had come off the pitch with a draw. Not this time though. With Josh doing a quality job in central midfield and Beardall and Daz Dalton providing outlets wide to relieve pressure, Bolts looked good for their win. A couple more dangerous moments from Hesketh came and went, most notably an impressive double save from Will from a freekick but it was Bolts who began to dominate the second half.
Asbo conditions lifted and enough GCSE retake revision having been done allowed Kyle a Saturday afternoon out as substitute and he came close to scoring a couple of times as did Jules who by the end of the day should have been well clear at the top of the Bolts goalscoring charts. But it was Man of the Match and stand in Captain Britney Hulton who killed the game off with an absolute belter of a 3rd goal. One of his buccaneering runs down the right flank from full back found him a fair way out, but he went for it with an unstoppable rocket that flew over a dispirited Hesketh keeper who by now wished he'd stayed at home in bed. 3-0 Bolts.
A big thanks goes to Nick Luke who came on as third sub to shore things up in central midfield. This win was long overdue and was what the 3rd team deserved. The lager finally tasted like it did way back in October.
Baz Ishaque